RESIDENTS ASSOCIATIONS CALL FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
By Own Correspondent
Residents Associations are calling for immediate amendment of the constitution which gives powers to political parties to recall councilors without consulting citizens.
Speaking at a radio program recently in Harare, Harare Metropolitan Residents Forum (HAMREF) Chairperson Marvellous Kumalo said, “As residents we are going to lobby for the amendment of the constitution, these forms of recalls should go through a referendum of that particular constituency.”
CHRA Director Loreen Mupasiri Sani added that, the
political contestations of the opposition parties has resulted in the wild recalls of councilors and left the electorate on the periphery of the local governance.
“Councilors are the bridge between the residents and the council officials”, said Sani.
The Secretary for Local Governance for MDC Alliance, Sesel Zvidzai lamented that the recalls were not procedural.
“If recalls were to be made there are processes and procedures to be followed not just a mere letter”, Said Zvidzai.
He said Councilors were being recalled because they were refusing to be raped politically.”
Speaking at the same occasion, MDC-T National Chairperson Morgan Komichi, defended the recalls and highlighted that there were a necessity.
“These recalls are informed by Supreme Court ruling which regard Thokozani Kuphe as the president of MDC Alliance and Councilors recalls is a process of dealing with indiscipline among councilors ,issues of service delivery will be dealt with later”, said Komichi.
So far twenty one (21) Councilors out of forty-six (46) have been recalled to a situation that has crippled council committees and operations.
The recalls come at a time when Council was in an important political process of budget formulation.
Meanwhile, CHRA calls for the fighting political parties to prioritize residents and service delivery; they are crippling as these recalls are affecting representative democracy and quality service delivery.
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